The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-21
DYING JUGGERNAUT.
The ONCE FAMOUS INDIAN GOD
HAS HAD HIS DAY.
No More Fanatics Anxious for Desth
Beneath the Cruel Wheels - Coolies
Hired to Drag the Car Once Drawn BY
Devotees.

Devofees.
The announcement that the once famous
festival Of .Iuggernaut has 80 declined in
popularity a. 10 render il necessary for the
priests to hire coolies TO drag the car, is a
measure of the extent to which the drstruc-
tive solvent Of western thought - being
spplied 10 eastern creeds. The ear Of the
great god Of POOree was one of the most
sacred Of Brahminc ''proprietles, ana
the Raih Jattra festival which, III I'M
portance. yielded 20 that of no other deity
i'm the HindOO Pantheon. From every
part Of the vast empire Of HlndoStan piI-
c,rims nocked To share in it. and when the
car Of ,Iuggernaut was dragged once
wear from the temple in order to bathe
the gods in the cool water Of the tank,
q mile and half distant, the widest en-
thnsiasm seized the vast multttNe Of de
voices Thousauds rushed 10 seize the
cables. and 50 eager were the volunteers
for this holy service that the best ana
| greatest men Of Orissa struggled win tach
other 10 obtain hold upon the ropes 10
use the language OF an old writer Who
witnessed the Rath Jattra in H. palmy
DAYS "they are 20 greedy and eager 10
draw il that whatsoever. by shOuldering.
| crOwding showing. heaving. thrusting, OF
/ I'm any insOleut way. can but lay hand
upOn the rope hey think themselves
| blessed and happy And when il is going
| along the CITY there are many mat VIII
offer themselves AS sacrifice 10 the idol.
| and desperately lie down on the ground
that the chariot wheels may run over
them. whereby they are killed outright.
Some yet broken arms. some broken legs,
SO that many are destroyed. and think 10
merit heaven
n HONOR or THE GOD.
At even "A later date martyrs 10 Jugger-
naut. or .fagganna tn, rs he j. more cor
rectly termed. were not infrequent. When
Francis buchanan was i'm po0ree early ia
| this century. he describes the harsh graf
ing Of the gigantic car as IL moved along,
the obscene songs 0f the priests in honor
OF the god and the fierce glances which
the fanatics bestowed OH the beef eating
| Englishmen. as pilgrim announced him
self ready 10 become sacrifice 10 the
idol. 40 one daring or caring tO prevent
the self-immOatiOn. the man Frustrated
himself in the road before the tower as II
moved along. lying on his face with his
arms stretched forward The multitude
| pressed around him leaving the space
clear. until he was crushed 10 death By
the wheels of the ponderous structure.
Then a wild cry Of praise was raised, and
rs the god was seen 20 smile az the
liaation Of spouting blood the devotees
threw cOwries and pieces Of money on the
body OF the victim in appreciation Of the
holy deed by which he had won immor-
tally in the lIindoo Walhalla.
II is. therefore. suggestive OF q strange
revolution in HindOO opinion 10 hear that
not only are victims lacking, but that, in
stead of thousands struggling FOR the
honor of place go the drag ropes labor
| ing men. at so many annas per diem, have
10 be hired 10 perform the sacred func-
ton The awe of the Indian people i0T
"the lord Of the world has been declin
ina For many years past the fame Of
the great god Of Orissa has been on the
wane. and the time when human sacri-
Zee was deliberately offered up 10 the
hideous idol is fast getting beyond the
power Of the very oldest Of The old Indians
% recall
NUMBER OF DEyOrEES.
Admitting that the number Of deyotees
| this year is smaller owing 10 the loss Of two
pilgrim shps-and the prophecy that .
| third viii be wrecked before the year IS on!
1t is uudeniable that jagganna'th Is
| doomed aud The wealth which
brought % the priest and the towns
| people Of Pooree is likely 10 vanish before
many years eiapse sometimes poor de
crepit wretch. weary Of hfe or drugged by
tho priests with Indian hemp or opium.
will wildly throw himself in front OF he
wheels. though he ia usually dragged our
by the police. who have orders 10 prevent
my ATTEMPTS at suicide. Saddest abase-
mont az ali from The standpoint Of Brah
,oinism il happened few years ago, fof
the FIRST time in history, that. 10 the hor-
ro, and chaqriu of the priests. the car OF
rao0anna TN stood still in the streets OF
pooree. while the pilgrims looked On IN
| imnious apathy Yet no harm beteli them
| although a subsequent famine has been
attributed % their sacrilegi0u> careless
ness However, the result has been That
| tbough wOrshipers still come 10 POOree
they Just as frequently prefer to save
| themselves the trouble Of hauling the
| sods. and a. has happened ON the present
| occasion the priests afraid OF the idols
| never reaching the tank, have contracted
| with irrevereniiai coolies 80 perform the
lob for q stipulated number OF rupees.
| Mortality there is. Of course. still The
| poor die for want Of food, OF disease. and
| of lack of proper accommodation. But
| there is 40 longer any need for interter-
| ing. for the wrong will soon right itself
by Jagganna Ih ceasing to draw. The
east. we fear. is already grown lax IN it,
| religious observanceS. The pilgrim takes
"A third class circular ticket 10 the holy
place Infdel shipowners issue passes to
| ID ieddah and tourist contractor escort,
the faithful over the forty miles between
Mecca and the sea The Egyptian der
wishes are becoming extremely chary
about making pavement Of their pers' rs
DR. the Saadceyeh Sheyk to ride over. aud
now that the indian eXchcquer j. bemoan-
ing the reduced returns from the jag
ganna'th trade and coolies have 10 he
hired To drag the car. we seem long way
from the time when job CharnOck. factor
ot Fort William, was converted so Hin
dooisu. OF when gen. Stewart engaged a
Brahmin To perform daily worship among
the idols in his bungalow .-l.ond0n stan
dard
Qualified for Umpire.